You know what is really exciting about May? I get to celebrate this beautiful woman twice! And for the never-ending good my mom has done, I could celebrate her every day and I feel like it wouldn't be enough!

Cheers to you mom,for working multiple jobs since the age of 13 to support the family you grew up with to the family you made today.

Cheers to you mom,for being brave enough to leave your 3 young children in the Philippines for a year to start your work as a nurse in the U.S.

Cheers to you mom,for giving above and beyond care to your patients in the suburbs of Detroit. I still remember those nights where the kitchen table was filled with bountiful trays of fruit to hand out to your patients. Or your multiple runs to JoAnn Fabrics, eagerly excited to make blankets for them as gifts. You literally warmed up the city, one home at a time.

Cheers to you mom, for leaving such a positive impression on everyone you meet. I can't leave a hospital or clinic you've worked at without getting an, "Are you Zena's (they can't ever get your name right) daughter? She's amazing! I love her."

Cheers to you mom, for showing me how hope can be found in the most dreadful of times. And how God is at the center of everything that is good.